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PROGRESS SENTINEL
^ VOL. XXXXV11 NO. 8 ' ? USPS 162-860 KLNANSV1LLE, NC 28349 FEBRUARY 21.1985 lb PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Arranging Artifacts At The New Home Of The Cowan Museum
? Oeorge and I la Cowan are pictured above by the fireplace of the new Cowan
* Museum in the historic Kelly-Farrior House of Kenansville. The fireplace is
one of the finished parts of the museum where artifacts are in place. Work
continues tO'arrange items in proper places, and according to George Cowan,
curator, the museum is expected to open to visitors by March. While the
inside of ihc Kelly-Farrior House will be finished. Cowan said the grounds
will not be completed for some time. Planned for the grounds of the museum
arc support buildings to house additional artifacts. Support buildings to be
constructed will include a saw mill, smoke house, bee-hives, and two
one-room log buildings which have already been moved onto the museum
grounds next to Liberty Hall.
m m
Talks Continue
Between Co-op,
Tobacco Companies
Negotiations resumed last week
between Flue-Cured Tobacco Coop
erative Stabilization Corp. and
tobacco company officials on reduc
tion in the effective price support in
return for the companies' agreeing
to buy 812 million pounds of surplus
tobacco from Stabilization.
Charles Finch of the Stabilization
staff told 100 tobacco growers at
tending an annual Stabilization
meeting in Kenansville last week
that he is optimistic about an
agreement's being reached.
The meeting was for farmers in
the southern portion of the Eastern
Belt market region, including
Pender, Sampson, Duplin, Onslow
and Lenoir coutnies.
Grover Rhodes of Albertson asked
"How soon will we know something?
We have a lot of transactions to
make."
Finch answered, "You should
know possibly in two or three weeks
what direction things will be going."
Farmers throughout the five-state
flue-cured tobacco producing area
say they need some answers about
the price support level and the
assessment on tobacco theysell next
summer. Thev cannot complete lease
arrangements or financial arrange
ments with nothing decided.
"Ray Marshall of Onslow County
wanted to know if tobacco markets
would be glutted next summer if
tobacco companies do buy the sur
plus.
Finch said the buy-out would be
spread across five years. If agree
ment is reached, the price would be
low enough that the companies
would use the domestic surplus to
rpplsce the tobacco they otherwise
would import from Brazil and other
countries. The proposal calls for
agreement by companies to buy their
normal requirements from current
crops off the tobacco auction ware
house floors.
Gene Lanier of Burgaw asked
about the average price companies
would pay for the surplus.
Finch replied that has not been
settled.
Orzo Thigpen of Beulaville said,
"We're in a bad fix. When you talk
about other people making conces
sions. we need to make concessions
ourselves." He referred to the price
support level.
The price support level is $1,699
per pound. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco
Co. proposed a $1.30 level. Stabi
lization proposed a $1.45 level.
Farmers are responsible for $1.3
billion worth of surplus tobacco in
Stabilization's hands, according to
its annual report. Under the no-net
cost to taxpayers law approved by
Congress four years ago, farmers
must pay the costs of the tobacco
price support progtam through
assessments on tobacco they sell.
Unless Stabilization can dispose of
'he surplus, farmers will have to pay
an assessment of 25 cents a pound on
tobacco they sell next summer.
The farmers' responsibility began
in 1982. Last year Stabilization bor
rowed $288,708,591 from Commo
dity Credit Corp. to pay farmers for
tobacco that failed to receive bids of
at least $1 per 100 pounds over the
support level. In 1983 it borrowed
$275,615,591, according to the an
nual report.
Stabilization has 541,447,910
pounds of tobacco for which farmers
arc responsible. I he remainder of
tne 812 million p- unds, about 270
million, is the ?sponsibility of CCC.
In -he ^us! fis.ee years iust wer 20
percent or one-fifth of the tobacco
offered for sale has come to Stabili
zation under the price support pro
gram.
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House OKs Bill To Loan Plant Funds
***** ? , '
The state Hou&t. -< Representa
tives Friday approved a bill that
m would make a proposed S18 million
turkev processing olant in rural
Duplin County eligible to apply foi
Urban Development Action Grant
funds.
The bill now goes to the state
Senate.
Introduced by Rep. Wendell
Murphy, the bill would make the
proposed plant eligible to apply for a
$900,000 UDAG loan from Warsaw^
even though the proposed site is'
0 several miles beyond the town limits.
State law limits to three miles the
distance that a UDAG project can be
located from the town that receives
the grant, said M.J. "Sonny"
Faison, president of Carroll's Foods
of Warsaw. The plant would be a
joint venture of Carroll's and Golds
boro Milling Co. of Goldsboro.
Faison said that all plans are
contingent upon approval of the
UDAG loan. Plans call for the plant
0 to be near Scott's Store, a crossroads
<.n.>ut 18 miles northerfst of Warsaw .
and 14 miles northwest of Kenans- ]
ville. 1
UDAG grants are made to towns
by the federal Department of Hous- ,
ing and Urban Development. The ,
towns then loan the money to the
companies seeking funds for projects
that will increase employment and
enhance an area's economy. Interest
rates are lower than market rates. In
theory, as the companies repay the
towns, the towns can reuse the
money for other development
projects. The towns do not have to
repay the government.
Faison said the plant would em
ploy 800 to 1,000 people within one
or two years of opening. The facility
would add more than S8 million a
year to the area's payroll.
He said he believes the plant
stands a good chance of winning a
grant because of double-digit unem
ployment in the area.
An option has been taken on
several acres. Soil and water testing
. ? fs
.hould be completed by Friday,
Faison said. Preliminary indications
oak good, he added.
The plant will require about 2
nil I ion gallons of water a day. Faison
ixnects to receive a sewaae treat
ment permit from the state in a
month.
"We hope to begin construction
by mid-April," Faison said. Con
struction will require 18 to 24
months, he said.
He said Hughes, Shillington &
Dixon of Merriam, Kan., a specialist
in engineering poultry processing
plants, will be project engineer and
construction supervisor.
The facility will benefit workers
and turkey producers of Duplin,
Sampson, Wayne and Lenoir coun
ties. "The site was determined by
the geographic center of our turkey
production," Faison said.
Murphy said the plant will be
"tremendous boon" to Duplin and
other southeastern counties.
"Th farmers are really looking
for alternatives to tobacco, and ob
viously livestock and poultry is the
alternative," Murphy said.
Warsaw Town Board
Tables Rezoning Idea
Warsaw town commissioners last
week tabled a request by one of their
fellow commissioners to rezone two
adjoining tracts of land so he can
build a mobile home park.
Commissioner Billy Kennedy
owns the property on the west side of
Yancey Street, across from Warsaw
Apparel Co. A public hearing was
held on his proposal to rezone the
land from residential and industrial
to R-6.
Eloise Clifton opposed the re
zoning, claiming it would reduce the
value of property her mother owns.
, Members of the First Baptist
Church favor the rezoning because
they believe it would upgrade their
property.
In other business, the board
agreed to plant a row of bushes as a
buffer between the town cemetery
and the town sewage treatment
plant.
The cemetery committee and the
town garden club will furnish the
bushes and town workers will plant
them so that a cemetery fence can be
freed of vines and brush.
"It will look good, but let's not put
any vines of kudzu on the fence,"
said Mayor Sam Godwin.
Residents of Washington, Lincoln
and Garfield streets want street and
drainage improvements. Howard
Williams of Washington Street and
Bill Williams of Lincoln Street said
the streets need surfacing. "My
garden's not a garden, it's a mud
hole." said Bill Williams.
The commissioners told Larry
Simmons, public works director, to
do something about the drainage
problem.
Also, the board directed Brian
Beasley of Beasley Cable Television
Co. to provide alternatives to the
company's proposal to increase the
basic fee from $8.50 to $12 per
month in return for adding four
channels to the 17 now provided.
Beasley proposed adding USA
Network. MTV. PTL and Black
Entertainment Network channels.
The board is attempting to work
out arrangements with the Rotary
Club and Boy Scouts for renovation
of a town-owned buildipg used by
the Scouts.
Duplin Fair Plans For
Permanent Site By Next Year
A key- to a successful county fair
includes providing adequate space
for growth. Last year the event
registered 5,000 more spectators
f ) than the previous season, fair offi
cials say.
The Duplin Agribusiness Fair
began on the grounds arouna the
old Kenansvilie Elementary School,
Kenan Auditorium and the William
R. Kenan Amphitheatre in Kenans
vilie. The buildings are used to
house exhibits and entertainment.
But, on a year-to-year basis, the fair
never received a long-term commit
ment to maintain the seasonal use of
f the grounds. Once again, for the
fourth season, the fair has been '
granted permission by county and
education officials to use the
grounds. The 1985 fair dates are
Sept. 30 - October 5.
Fair facilities committee chairper
sons Lois Britt and Roy Houston say
work is underway to determine a
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permanent site for the Duplin Agri
business Fair. Design of buildings
and grounds for the present site or
re-locating and constructing facilities
are being planned by two different
agencies. The plans are expected to
be available within three months,
Britt said.
Funds to finance the move to a
new location or the improvement of
the present site will come from a
legislative allocation made last year
to the Duplin County Fair,' and the
current fair budget from revenues of
the three previous county fairs.
Houston said.
A permanent site for the Duplin
Agribusiness Fair is expected to be
released before the start of the 1985
event this October.
"To-continue the success of the
fair," "1985 Duplin County Agri
business president Ruth Wells said,
"meetings of the fair committee
began well in advance of the event
?
scheduled for the first week in
October," The first meeting of the
committee was last week. Committee
chairpersons for the 1985 fair include
fair coordinator Lewis Smith, pub
licity Ruth Wells, livestock, David
Byrd; indoor commercial exhibits,
Emily Killette; food concessions,
Tom Rouse; outside commercial
exhibits and displays. Major Ivey;
tabloid sales and publication, Cathy
Fonvielle; Duplin County school
activities, Austin Carter; horses and
horse show, Carey and Uonna
Wrenn; treasurer, Grey Morgan;
entertainment, Billy Knowles; and
individual and group educational
exhibits, Paulette Batts.
The 1984 fair drew more than
15,000 people. Educational exhibits
by individuals and groups totaled
983.
More than 500 scnool art displays
were exhibited by the Duplin County
Arts Council. And, the addition of a
horse show in the fair registered
more than 25 entries.
Plans for the 1985 fair will include
use of the old school building On the
fairgrounds in Kenansville as an
educational exhibit hall.
According to indoor commercial
exhibits chairperson Emily Killette,
an additional 12 booths will be
available in the Kenan Auditorium.
No booths for commercial exhibitors
will be in the old schod building.
Booths will also be available for
display in 10-foot space sizes as well
as 8 -foot, to commercial exhibitors.
Livestock exhibits are expected to
double for entry in the heifer and
hogs show, David Byrd reported.
The livestock will be housed in the
same location, but Byrd said a larger
tent would be needed to accom
modate the number of animals to be
housed during the fair.
Whitley Named
Deputy Whip
Third District Congressman
Charlie Whitle" will serve as one of
seven deputy whips in the 99th
Congress, according to an
announcement made by House
Democratic Majority Leader Jim
Wright of Texas.
Wright is regarded as the front
runner to succeed Tip O'Neill who is
'J serving his last term. Wright said
that being named Deputy Whip
means that Whitley will be an
important part of the House leader
ship structure, serving as spokesman
and llaisbn for the southeastern
states. Whitley had served three
terms as Zone Whip representing
North Carolina and Virginia.
Prior to the announcement
Whitley had been re-elected to a
fourth term as Zone Whip, a position
he will now relinquish. WhiUey was
also re-elected as chairman of the
subcommittee on forests, family
farms and energy, a post he held on
the agriculture committee during the
last Congress. He will remain a
member on the subcommittee on
tobacco and peanuts, which will be
chaired again by Charli/ *ose.
Duplin Quiz Bowl Champions
The North Duplin High School Quiz Bowl team won the
1985 title. The Rebels are the returning champions
from 1984. The Quiz Bowl is sponsored by the Dorothy
Wightman/Duplin County Library in Kcnansville and
competing are the four Duplin high schools. The 1985
championship found featured Wallace-Rose Hill and
Norj|)i Duplin. The chittipions pictured above are Nancy
Thornton, Steve St. Amand, Patrick Simpson and
Melanie Parker. They will represent their school and
Duplin County in regional Quiz Bowl competition
March 16 in Laurinburg. Patrick is a four-year member
of the North Duplin team and Melanie a two-year
participant.
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